Street Fighter Almost DIED | Street Fighter III - New Gen, 2nd Impact, 3rd Strike

[@Fighter-Coliseum]

It's so fun listening to Max talk about Street Fighter and it's history.

[@novaquinn5323]

Right? The last one he made was so relaxing. I fell asleep listening to it.

[@sunkistwaves]

Fr, i hope he does this for future legacies moving forward. Especially with MK and Tekken on the horizon

[@topshotta2000]

Ikr... especially about the alpha series some details about the game I did not know about

[@Dracobyte]

Honestly I would like Sean to return in SF 6, as well as Sakura since both are Ken and Ryu respective protegees.

[@huesudowoodo]

who better than Max really

[@thegreatburgerkingpiccolo9549]

As much as I adore Third Strike, so much of the music and stages from 2nd Impact are so good that I honestly prefer a lot of those themes, mainly Ibuki, Gill, Ryu, Elena, and Hugo’s, to Third Strike Also massive props for using the New Generation Arranged soundtrack. Some of the best SF music ever

[@meganinten0078]

I totally agree. I love listening to Second Impact's OST Sean, Urien, Ryu, Yun, Necro, the Bonus Game and Hugo's themes are my favorites. Much better than their themes in 3rd Strike. The presentation of New Generation and 2nd Impact is amazing! I will always love how in Elena's stage, the stage changes between rounds 👍 The Winner Screen is my absolute favorite ☺️

[@hia5235]

Everything about 2nd Impact is better outside of the gameplay

[@Dracobyte]

Honestly I would like Sean to return in SF 6, as well as Sakura since both are Ken and Ryu respective protegees.

[@bruceleeds7988]

​@@hia5235 the gameplay is better, SEAN was better

[@DavidMyrmidon]

@@bruceleeds7988 Sean got fucking Robbed bro.. for real.

[@DanTheMeek]

I remember as a kid, for years after SF2 came out, every time I went into an arcade, looking for the inevitable sequal, SF3, and never finding it. Around the play ground there were rumors upon rumors about people seeing SF3 some where, but any time I investigated it, I only learned I'd been played. At some point, with SF2 having come out in 1991, and literally half a decade passed of searching for this mythic sequal and never finding it, I gave up and assumed it just was never coming out, probably around 1996. Many years passed then in 2008 SF4 came out and while super excited, I was also super confused, were they counting alpha as 3? After doing some research I learned there was a SF3 that came out in 1997 but was horrifically marketted so even people like myself who were desperately waiting for it, never knew of it, and wouldn't get a home market release until well after the arcade scene was dead in the area I lived in. At that point, in 2008, I hunted down a copy of the 15 year anniversary collection and dusted off my old ps2 and absolute LOVED the graphics. 10 years later and it was still easily the prettiest SF game I'd ever seen and I'd say its still the prettiest to this day. But after learning there was a clearly defined tier list, every told me you either player Chun or Yun if your cared about winning, other wise you handicapped yourself by playing anyone else, it killed my interest in learning the game beyond the most casual level and I never came back to it. Now adays I hear people talk about it lovingly, but it will forever for me be that game I wanted sooo badly to exist for a half decade of my formative years, only to finally come out after I stopped looking and its competitive scene feel completely unapproachable by the time I did learn of it. It's beautiful, but fills me with nothing but melancholy to think about.

[@bruceleeds7988]

Right!! I played it (New Gen) ONCE in an arcade, it was impossible to like this game with Alpha 2 right next to it. I LOVED Ryu and Ken's new supers, but I HATED having to choose, and I was not impressed by the new roster at all. The single question I get asked by casual players who I reintroduce to SF in the 2.5d era is "I stopped after SF2, when was there an SF3?"

[@tmcttf8087]

You really shouldn't let people get to you. If you enjoy a game, then stick with it. No matter what anyone else says.

[@jakejutras5420]

You aren't good enough for those tier lists to matter my man.

[@Canalbiruta]

Chun and yun are definitely top tier characters, but to be honest, the majority of the cast (except sean) are still pretty good. If you give it a go, you'll find that although both are good characters, you can definitely steamroll them with ryu, yang or elena, and definitely give them a run for their money with urien and makoto (my bae i love that chick).

[@DanTheMeek]

​@@jakejutras5420 That was my mind set in 2008 my man, 15 years later I'm an old dude with a job that frequently requires over time, a wife, and a special needs child, I could generally care less about tier lists, but I still don't play SF3 these days because, aside from the fact my missing out on it in my youth causes me to have no nostalgia for it, there's no modern controls or meaningful single player content. Aside from the fact I just don't have the free time to spend practicing in training mode for hours every day after work like I did in my 20s and 30s, some where along the past 2 decades age caught up with me and I lost the ability to do even quarter circle motions with any consistency. I still love fighting games to death, and not only casually play games I enjoyed in my youth, like SF2, SFA2, SF4, etc., I have SF6 preloaded on my PC, but I missed SF3, so it just doesn't have that nostalgia for me, just the aforementioned Melancholy that still lingers with me when I think about it. I will say, doesn't matter if it would matter for some one at their level or not, having 1-2 clearly defined top characters does push potential new players away from old fighting games, and my past self was an example of that. Even now I'm more nostalgic for SSF4 or USF4 then Sagat Fighter 4 or SSF4:Yun Edition, though I'm at least a little more nostalgic for vanilla if only because I got into it on release, before it became as obvious how busted Sagat was. It wouldn't surprise me if the SF3 Third Strike scene would be much larger today if not for said tier lists, but because they exist, plenty of would be new players do like 2008 version of me did, play it casually for like a day or two, then move onto something with a less defined tier list.

[@lalo2513]

The ending gave me goosebumps... God bless the Online Warrior!

[@meganinten0078]

Same. It looked like Max was holding back tears 🥲

[@cross_rdiance7968]

Absolutely, just hearing Max talk about SF3: Third Strike just conveys how much love he has for this game to be his number 1 fighting game of all time. The ending nearly got me when he was tearing up as I usually tear up if people start crying from the raw emotion of a passion they love. Truly a GOAT of a fighting game and a GOAT of a Fighting-Genre KZbinr.

[@Bounty2223]

Just as a note there's a fightcade compitable widescreen mod for 3rd strike. It actually is really interesting since the levels have much more detail than we usually can see. The modder BankBank also adjusted them to look great and fixed the issues with this mod since it was left unfinished. It really is worth a try for anyone who wish to play the game in proper widescreen. There's also footage on youtube of it.

[@thechosenone8332]

Unfortunate that you cannot play online with the widescreen mod but maybe someday.. Still a very cool mod indeed

[@Bounty2223]

@@thechosenone8332 You can play it, I tried it out myself. It has a own category on fightcade. There are however not that many people who are playing it though.

[@Silver_Triggers]

I really love the switching between stream footage gameplay and max giving us a lesson, great editing

[@vladalexeev8529]

I first saw SF3: New generation in year 2000 in arcade in Turkey and was blown away by that. The art style was so awesome and Alex character became my favorite since

[@StephonZeno]

I remember the primary reason for wanting to play these was just because it was more street fighter games to play. I'll admit, I was one of the many who was thrown off by most of the veteran characters being replaced by a bunch of newbies. However, the second reason I played these games was because of the animation. Everything just looked so smooth, weighty, and impactful. The animations almost had this stretchy "whiplash" effect to them. Christ almighty, I think Makoto's walking animation has about 40 frames!?!? That's an insane amount of effort to put into an animation many people wouldn't even fully see... But they did, and it was all traditionally animated. Street Fighter III really makes me miss 2-D sprites... They just have a charm and energy that 3-D will always have a hard time replicating. It's a shame SFIII had so much effort put into it, just for it to go such a long time to be fully appreciated.

[@zellbi]

AHHHHHHHHH these videos are so good. That outro bit where it transitioned into the online warrior intro sent chills down my spine! Years of memories from watching Max and the online warrior, what a time. Thank you third strike.

[@ferjitsu9560]

I'd like thank you, Max, for all these videos about the franchise I truly love. My father is in hospital and I'm going through big shit in life, but these videos are giving me fresh air and joy.

[@furrybproductions]

Sorry to hear that bro. Hope things improve.

[@Dracobyte]

You are not alone! Hang in there.

[@starbreaker269]

Go get a dog or something

[@ferjitsu9560]

@@starbreaker269 I already have 2. I know your comment is passive aggressive, but anyway, I wish you never go through what me and my family are going rn.

[@StriderRyu7]

Hope your dad and life situation gets better soon! Wishing you the very best…. Don’t give up.

[@Zenondikar]

RESURRECTION! You got me into this game almost 12 years ago, and its also my favourite fighting game of all time. Thanks Dood! BRING BACK SEAN FOR SF6 CAPCOM 🏀

[@ChrisValentine12384]

unpopular opinion perhaps but I'd love to see Sean come back as DLC in sf6

[@ruanedson2250]

Same here bro

[@Dracobyte]

You are not alone, as well as Sakura since both are Ken and Ryu respective protegees.

[@hyliandoctor]

WAIT ACTUALLY THAT'D BE REALLY COOL Although, I think some Sean stuff got transferred over to SF6. Luke's DP > Dunk followup and level 3 being a tackle beatdown, Ken's Dragonlash acts similar to Sean's overhead wheel kick (though Ken's can be used more as a frame trap and combo extension as opposed to strictly an overhead), perhaps some other things, but goddammit I want to see him playable. He could have high-low mixups from his kick and tackle grab, great corner carry from his Tatsu and maybe can link into stuff on an EX version, make his taunt a dedicated projectile with some oki and anti-air potential; he can be remade to be more fun and stay as unique as everyone else.

[@matehiqu9905]

not that unpopular of a opinion

[@sonicphoenix7]

we need old man dudley

[@theotherjared9824]

I'm glad the common misconception that SF3 was a massive success is being cleared up. The love for the game is very much retroactive and times were very different back then.

[@signorpaldoni]

I remember people laughing at me for having a Dreamcast and "still" buying 2d shit like sf3 di and ts...now we just remember the good things but as you said , back then sf3 was not popular at all

[@hia5235]

Third Strike was a flop too

[@anibalsantos-maldonado582]

I remember, I still have my Dreamcast. I very much remember all those games coming out during the height of the 3D fighters. People were not ready for the Street Fighter 3 at the time.

[@Danceofmasks]

I don't get where SF3 being a success came from. I was there when they were released, and nobody played them.

[@joeyzapata6786]

Nobody thought it was a massive success. Once Tekken 2 came out, 2D fighters were dead on arrival.

[@DelphinSquared]

I got to love that Max hails 3rd Strike as his Most favorite Street Fighter game. So many hours of content on that game in his Channel.

[@Hunt9-qb1if]

It’s the most overrated fighting game of all time and it’s not even close to being the best streetfighter game

[@trevorghalt1881]

There's some great characters that I would love to see come back for Street Fighter 6 Sean, Makoto & Dudley would be nice

[@riotmos]

It's surprising to learn that Ryu and Ken were not going to be part of SF3. As a kid, it was already weird seeing only Ryu and Ken returning in addition to a lot of new (some weird) characters (which we come to love now). I do think the SF franchise would have been in a MUCH more difficult spot if Ryu and Ken were not added. If that was the case, the only other things that looks "Street Fighter" were Sean and Remy's "Sonic Boom" and "Flash Kick" Though interestingly 2 years later, SNK took a similar approach and released Garou: Mark of the wolves. This time, ONLY Terry was the returning character and everyone else were new. However, the difference here is that a lot of the new characters had connections with previous characters and also had recognisable moves (Rock, Kim's kids, Khushnood). Although SNK took this risk, the game did really well despite just 1 returning character from Fatal Fury.

[@bruceleeds7988]

GAROU is a much better execution of next generation than SF3 could dare hope to be, and yet is talked about significantly less. GAROU has like what 12 characters, all are balanced, viable and fun to play, the system has a large but understandable skill tree to climb and the art is gorgeous

[@MultiBoxingKid]

@@bruceleeds7988 mean, it’s an SNK fighting game, they were never that big in the US. At least with english speakers it’s not talked about that much.

[@meganinten0078]

@@bruceleeds7988 GAROU being balanced... Have you seeing Kevin Ryan? He is so brocken 😅 In fact, something I like about GAROU is that almost all the characters have something brocken/OP

[@ThatGuy-tc6uv]

If I'm remembering correctly and the recent SF collection is to be believed, SF3 wasn't the first time Capcom considered dropping Ryu and Ken: The original concepts for SF2 also had them absent and when it was decided that a shoto would be in the game, the initial plan was to just bring back Ken and not Ryu. So it's interesting that history essentially repeated itself.

[@fernandozavaletabustos205]

I found this comment from Aaron (Thorgi's Arcade channel) very interesting: "Been seeing people all night saying Street Fighter 3 failed because of all the new characters. Guys I'm not going to pretend like the lack of legacy characters didn't hurt the game, but that's a massive oversimplification. Street Fighter 3 launched at a time when no home console could play it, and the arcade industry was on the downswing, and there were three other Street Fighter games released within a year of it. (Alpha 2/3, EX 2/3, VS X-Men/MSH). There were other factors is all I'm saying. Sorry had to get that off my chest because anytime someone says "Street Fighter 3 failed because of the new characters" it's like saying "The Gasoline storage plant burned down from all the dry paper laying around." I'm sure that didn't help, but there was also all the gasoline."

[@ArcadeStriker]

Amazing video as usual, but the montage at the end synced to Knock You Out with all three versions of SF3 was the absolute most delicious icing in top of the cake; bless you Max and the editor

[@danhectic5629]

i remember EGM being super impressed with Ryu's gi flapping in the wind of his Hadouken and not much else. later on i became aware of 3rd Strike's reverence- well before 'the Evo moment'. still feels like yesterday that everyone was joking about Capcom not being able to count to three.

[@thechugg4372]

We already have Valve not able to count to three.

[@rong7496]

I always thought this (New Gen) was just a “rough draft,” but you (as usual) give it depth and relevance, Max. Thank you. I love these videos you make because I get a lot of information. Please keep making them.

[@thepuppetmaster9284]

Ah SF III: New Gen. It brings back my memories when i played it for the first time back in 1997. I remember i got my jaw drop with the impressive 2D sprite but in the same time also feeling confused because i only recognize Ryu and Ken in the roster and everyone else are new characters. I also remembered not many people played it. Every time i came to my local arcade, New Gen cabinet always looks deserted compare to SFT, X-Men vs SF, or KoF 97 cabinet.

[@brandonwilliams6119]

That video title nearly scared because Street Fighter was very and it’s hard to image something so big dying, the 3D fad of the mid 90s was so strong, it’s like if you didn’t go 3D you were looked down upon, but I’m very glad Street Fighter 3 as whole has gained a resurgence and lots of love, it truly was ahead of it’s time, the soulful, expressive 2D animated Sprites are so timeless and still look amazing to this day! I wonder what’s the Street Fighter 3 of Megaman? Maybe Megaman 8/ & Bass? Those games also have great animation and cheesy cringekino voice acting but aren’t talked about as much.

[@bruceleeds7988]

The problem was not that is was 3D, the problem is that it was competing against it's own company releases and losing. I have the choice of games that let me pick characters that are exactly like my favourite Marvel TV Shows, voice and everything. I have games that have redesigned Final Fight roster and made me love them all over again. I have a game that let's me relive the Ryu and Ken vs Bison fight in the greatest Anime I'd ever seen as a kid. I can pick a game where Ryu and Terry Bogard can duke it out once and for all. Not to mention EX, Star Gladiator, Rival Schools and Power Stone. Or... I can pick Ryu and Ken and beat down a bunch of no names. SF3 simply had no appeal that stood out at the time

[@UchiGang]

Even with SF6 finally being out, watching all these retrospective videos are so great. Reminds me why sf will always have a special place in my heart.

[@StrawHat-68]

Hugo is my absolute favorite character in all of SF! I really hope he eventually makes it into SF6. Along with a number of other Third Strike characters!😁

[@ki11ert]

Alex and Hugo in SF6 would be the ultimate grappler lineup along with the ones already in the game

[@ArchonKujo]

Gotta give the credits to the artists who draws Max in the thumbnails!

[@echsIncognito]

Must say I'm loving this SF Legacy series. Would love to see you do this with other series such as Soul Calibur, MK, Tekken, Guilty Gear, BlazBlue, etc...

[@channelhorror1174]

I hope you all have a great week and I look forward to seeing you all in the battle hub this weekend.

[@InitialDL84]

You too brotha!

[@AyeYoYoYooo]

The Stages and theme songs from 2nd Impact are truly incredible. Especially Elena’s Night Bridge and that theme, Necro’s Train stage and that spooky DNB theme, and of course Gill stage and that theme … even Hugo’s beirgarten stage … all superior to every stage and theme in 3s except Akuma’s theme and Ibuki’s theme. Absolutely cannot wait until switch/consoles get another relaunch / remake of all-encompassing versions of BOTH the Street Fighter III series & Street Fighter Alpha series. Each title containing literally every roster character and stage and theme song from every possible port and version of the games, and selectable playstyles from each, ala Vampire Chronicle: Chaos Tower / PSP’s Alpha 3 Max ….

[@SamuraiSnake]

I loved SF3 New Generation. Though I missed the improvements that Alpha 3 did. The ost and stages in New Generation are fantastic and feel more alive than in third strike.

[@dmtmediabrothers]

Loving these stories. And i thought i grew up with street fighter. This why max is a step above.

[@17ScionFlames]

I always liked the anniversary collection for the way you can literally Change the way the game function like Linking button inputs for even easier combos (i.e. light into medium into heavy into super into super) you can make some Epic combos with those settings with a lot of characters shotos were the best. I implore anyone that has this version to try it out in the "System Direction" it becomes a whole new game

[@Juan_rivera]

People not knowing that there were games before 3rd strike is like people thinking that SF series started with SF2 LOL

[@GlitchanBlack]

Failures are just a stepping stone on the path to success. Street Fighter III proves that.

[@orlanzo2621]

Man Second Impact has always been one of my favorite SF games. I honestly like it more than Third Strike.

[@tokenstandpoint93]

Me too!

[@LordQuadros]

The PS2 Anniversary Collection was what got me back into Street Fighter after just playing a couple of them in arcades I came across incidentally. I mostly just wanted a copy of some version of SF2 for nostalgia's sake, but I remember looking at the package and being surprised that there even was a Street Fighter III. Even more to my surprise, after giving it a spin, was how beautiful the sprite animation was and how fun it was to play, despite the dearth of familiar faces. Quickly became an all-time favorite.

[@JMartini810]

I could listen to max talk about every fighting game ! The love he has for this franchise just oozes out from these videos !! Shine On Dood!

[@HYPNOGLANCE87]

We need more of this from max,history of fighting games.Rival schools and powerstone would be nice to see heavily.

[@joedatius]

Third Strike is the game people say they love but never played themselves lol. not dissing the game at all but its the FG version of "Huge Earthbound Fan Excited to Play It for First Time"

[@PeruvianPotato]

So basically 97% of Touhou fans in a nutshell

[@enzo991_]

The fact that the ending to the video transitions into the intro to the Online Warrior series intro is f**king SICK. Props to the editor.

[@sniper007uk]

Best series of videos I’ve enjoyed on KZbin for a very long time. So insightful, and a fantastic advertisement for SF6 as well as the fighting genre as a whole!

[@TryZaWarudo]

Third strike was basically my first impression of the fighting game scene. Funny enough, The arcade boss fight with gill (boss rage series) was my first introduction to this channel. Now I also agree is one of the greatest fighting games capcom has ever made.

[@hdelmas1]

Street Fighter 3 was the high school of the SF era, and I lived and loved it. I felt so bad for the OG SF3 not being recognized until Third Strike, which pretty much inspired me into fighting games as a whole 😅

[@MintyPolaroid]

I played so much SF3 3S on PS2 as a kid! I had no idea there was this whole competitive world of fighting games until I was much older. Can't help but think about all the hype tournament moments I missed out on like Evo Moment 37...

[@getmepaid2day653]

Sean for the SF6 DLC roster, we need to make this happen.

[@DABoredman]

That throwback to the reveal trailer/Online Warrior intro at the end though. What a way to cap off all these years of good-ass 3S games.

[@sinfulkivisian20]

@Maximilian Dood my first time playing Street Fighter 3 was around 97/98. Playing Arcades was never my thing, but it was Street Fighter so i liked playing it. I vividly remember playing to the point where i could not beat Yun. Wanted to play it again but where the arcade was located at the time was an expensive venture in itself. SF 3 was definitely a different breed but it was still Street Fighter at its core. I think between 98/99, my first introduction to Alpha series began with SFA3. I have the collection including the 4 series, Marvel vs Capocom and Capcom vs SNK 2 and SF X Tekken. Tried playing 5 and 6, but it doesn't hold the same sentiments that Street Fighter had since its inception. I sound like I'm rambling. Apologies. Just an OG Street Fighter head overall. Never played the first one, but got into it with Street Fighter 2 Turbo. Been hooked since and not looking back. Hope we can talk at some point. Anyways, take care always and keep playing till the thumbs go numb🤣🤣🤣🤣👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾👊🏾👊🏾. Stay real

[@jesusmunoz6372]

I think it's a miracle 3rd strike was created. It's so freaking amazing.

[@MegaMar14]

Max, please do more series like this, this is godly tier!

[@blakerobertus7533]

I actually did play New Gen as a kid at a 7-11 a couple of times and I actually really enjoyed it. I had a habit of picking the characters who scared me the most as a kid so I didn't have to fight them (which is why I picked Baraka in MK2 lol) so I used Oro a lot. I was kind of ahead of the times, I guess

[@cmattss4]

It’s fun learning about the previous entries. 6 will be my first street fighter aside from playing the one on the 3DS a little bit.

[@InitialDL84]

I remember seeing SF3 NG in the arcade back in the 90s in Virginia, and nobody played it. That machine was literally collecting dust, but I remember trying it out and just being enamored by the graphics. Later on when I had a Dreamcast, I got Double Impact and fell in love with 2nd Impact; I actually like it more than 3rd Strike tbh.

[@thechosenone8332]

New Generation Arranged OST is severely underrated, some of the best hip-hop BGM I've ever heard

[@MrTopboy80]

I'm a major street fighter fan, marvel v Capcom and SNK v Capcom, I own street fighter 3 third strike, on Street Fighter Annniversary Collection but have never played it, I DEFINITELY WILL NOW, I DIDN'T REALISE IT WAS THAT GOOD!!!!..........

[@0vercheese]

Like many others. You convinced me to buy online addition in 2011 and never looked back. Even got to beat pikachu akuma one time and I remember I was hella hyped. If you were on the 360 lobbies, he was basically the final boss.

[@jonnyblanka]

Fun Fact: 2nd Impact actually has an (experimental at the time) 16:9 widescreen mode which gives a truly native and beautiful wide screen display. Everything from the hud, character select screen, and life bars have been edited and resized to make sure everything looks optimal. I believe it was used on some weird ass double monitors at the time in the arcade, but using it today fits perfectly on our screens. Those of you who stretch your 4:3 screens won't care I guess but for the rest of you, give it a go it looks glorious! Works on anniversary collection but only for 1 player mode. Edit: Ok Max mentions it at around 9:20

[@saado99]

Third Strike while being controversial, for what it is is one of the most fun fighting game experiences with awesome presentation and deep system mechanics. Everytime I take a break from it and come back to it, I remember why I love the game so much, it has it's own rush and feel-good aspect to it.

[@jbellamy83]

I really hope they bring Sean back for SF6 as a fully trained shoto master. I feel like he'd look dope in the SF6 art style.

[@FTNS743]

This is where Tokido mastered the Urien playstyle of a charge character at his EV02002 debut. Sorry JWong and John Choi, Tokido is just on a whole another level.

[@Karn0010]

3rd Strike is special, just something about it still works today. I remember playing New Gen sometimes in like '01 and hated it. It wasn't until '04ish that a friend told me about 3rd Strike. I didn't believe him when he said it was good, it was still SF III after all. Yeah that changed quickly. The SF6 beta and demo had some of that 3S coolness in them. I know I haven't had this much fun with a Street Fighter since 3S. So close now.

[@j95lee]

3S online also had dipswitch mode (dlc for 99 cents) that was similar to system direction from the Dreamcast direction. With a few tweaks, you can play 3S like mvc1. Almost everyone gets a chain combo or specials cancelling into each other. You can do some trippy things. It’s a criminally underrated feature. It was probably infeasible for tournament play but for casual play, it’s a blast. It reinvents the game in a way that doesn’t feel tacked on.

[@redvenomweb]

One note on the widescreen mode for 2nd Impact: this is not like the widescreen mode in ST HDR or SF4, where the view is just zoomed in and the top/bottom of the screen are cut (compared to 4:3). In 2I's widescreen mode, the gameplay area is actually wider: if the players are in opposite corners, Ryu can jump forward TWICE and he's STILL not close enough to hit the opponent.

[@FreePlayMode]

I remember the NYC playtest for "Three", and it didn't go well. I remember going to a few arcades where they were doing it. People were not pleased that Street Fighter 3 didn't have Ken, Ryu, Chun-Li or even Guile. Like people would play a handful of times and be given this question packet. I got one and I remember leaving not too good reviews on it. The general thoughts were pretty much uniform. "Slow" "Clunky" "Nicely animated" "Feels like a Street Fighter Clone than an actual SF game" "No classic SF characters".

[@lyrand6408]

I do like Third Strike, but I also do have a gripe about it: the stages are way too static, they don't feel 'alive' enough, but I think I get why; all of their efforts for animation went into the characters instead. If it's completely intentional to leave the stages that static then it's weird to me, considering how lively and with motion the previous stages in the SF2 saga were especially of course in the Alpha series, where I think the stage quality peaked for the 2D SF games.

[@bruceleeds7988]

You compare the SF3 stages to the Alpha 2 stages: Dhalsim's wife cheers for him when he hits you and winces when he is hit. M Bison's Soldiers salute him when he walks past them Rolento's stage is basically Spiderman's from MSH Guy's Final Fight Stage And then you go to SF3 and you look to be inspired, some humor or charm or nostalgia and you find nothing.

[@lancepage1914]

​@@bruceleeds7988 i knew of all the details but i never considered to compare these factors. SF3 stages are very static but that never bothered me, they are very detailed. In retrospect i am glad it's a different beast but still SF.

[@anibalsantos-maldonado582]

I remember in my arcade behind a liquor store, this game was always being played. That and 2nd Impact. It was popular in my neighborhood, but I can completely understand why it put off many fans. I thought that Capcom was very bold and brave with bringing in a completely new roster. To this day, I still love and play both New Generation and 2nd Impact

[@conradojavier7547]

We need a New Street Fighter Collection, but uses Ultra SF2, 3rd Strike Online Edition, Alpha 3 Max, SF4 Arcade, & SSF4 Arcade Edition in the collection.

[@TechRyze]

Street Fighter III at release: Didn't know any of the characters, didn't recognise any of the locations, never saw a home port of the game. I never heard about any home port until the Dreamcast, which was years later. There was nothing about the game that made people interested.

[@zakkziegler111]

Dude, when TSOLE dropped. I think I called off my job life three days in a row even though I had never had to before in the last four years, lmao. The long con, I suppose. Gotta wait for a good opportunity to use that good will up, eh 😁 That and the when MvC3 first dropped were probably some of the best out of arcade experiences I can remember having. MvC origins also comes somewhere in the top 5. So much fun. And I was even there for your first episode of the online warrior!

[@arturogabriel6863]

I fell in love with 3rd Strike playing the Dreamcast version, I was about 6 years old so I didn't think about input delay or balancing lol. Amazing memories!

[@HEHEHE_I_AM_A_MASKED_WARRIA]

IIRC Yun's aerial target combo does exist in 2nd Impact, but only in Gen'ei Jin. 3rd Strike removed it entirely.

[@mlrdmn]

SF3 Has a special place in my heart, there was a cabinet during my undergrad UNI... the overlooked incredible Sprite work at a time when 3D took over, the Jazz Hip Hop Soundtrack, the parry system, ... i used to juggle Hadoken's with the two controlers like a DJ used to beat juggle. An under-rated gem of design that just aged so well with the viral Daigo Ken VS Chun Li moment (which my mate Joey was there for ps!!!)

[@lexacutable]

huh, when SFIII came out in the arcades I remember being blown away by it, talking about it with friends etc. I had no idea it was so unsuccessful.

[@GuerrillaGorilla023]

I remember the wonkiest Street Fighter I ever played being a 3D fighter on the PS2. Thought it was SF3 for the longest but turns out It's Street FIghter EX 3, now I'm realizing there was a whole EX line of games. Thanks for making me do my googles Max

[@Mykulveli]

Max, I love these videos man. Thank you.

[@ShintaSF]

Fun fact: Anniversary Collection for PS2 didn't include 3rd Strike in Europe. In here we had 3S for Dreamcast and Xbox (for that Anniversary Collection). I was pissed and amazed that one of the greats in Street Fighter franchise never got official release on one of the best selling consoles in Europe. So much so, that me and many others in our local fighting game community just said "eff this" and modded our PS2s and pirated a copy.

[@Xionvenus]

Max is probably getting so much nostalgia from this

[@raikohzx4323]

Makes me wish there was a Hyper Street Fighter III. All the stages, all the characters / variants, all the music.

[@Spider-Complexion]

I have distinct memories with the 3rd strike arcade machine. I’m born 2000’s and I think I was 4 when I would always see someone playing this game at a donut shop my mom would go to in the mornings. The style and everything always intrigued me so much. It was really a surprise throwback when I finally got to play it and remember. I guess it was a weird time where all the arcade machines scattered? I also remember distinctly a MvC 2 machine.

[@leviackyman9626]

Before we moved into the 360/PS3 era this was the best SF. Least to me. It sprinted so SF6 could teleport! 😮‍💨 Yeah it didn’t have your Cammys or Guiles, but it was a new numbered SF and despite the hate for having more new characters over old characters, SF3 is still iconic to this day. If you’re making a sequel to something, of course you’ll market new characters. Your old characters are in the last game. But what if SF3 was alpha and alpha SF3? Wonder what would happen if the roles reversed

[@Dracobyte]

Honestly I would like Sean to return in SF 6, as well as Sakura since both are Ken and Ryu respective protegees.

[@brendaspence1824]

Mmm they seem to set Sakura up as giving up the fighter life in V

[@lancepage1914]

I remember when SF3 came out at the arcade. It felt a year or 2 too late and it came out of nowhere. But it seemed 3D games were more popular at the time like Tekken and Virtua Fighter and other Sega and Namco titles. I didn't start seeing traction of the 3rd iteration at the arcades well into the 2000s but it was a niche. SFIII 3S is still my favourite 2D fighting game.

[@bsaintnyc]

I was one of the few that loved SF3 at release. It and tekken 3 were in the arcade at the same . It was the era right before arcades died. I used to love arcades but this was the era that made the end of arcades inevitable. Namco system 11 was the beginning of the end. Before system 11 (withstanding neogeo) arcade hardware was way more advanced than console hardware. You went to arcades for a premium experience. The system 11 changed that. It was basically a playstation in an arcade cabinet. The version of tekken you played in the arcade was the same one you got at home. Eventually arcade boards based on home consoles began to dominate and destroyed the value proposition of going to arcades.

[@cosmogang]

I grew up in south Mississippi, and there was a SF3 New Generation cabinet in the local arcade in the mall near my house for like 5 years. It was off in a dark corner of the room, and I felt like I was the only person who ever played it. Definitely nostalgic for me.

[@Bones98]

I have third strike for Dreamcast and the 30th Anniversary Collection for Switch. I really wished they released all three Street Fighter III games on PC with rollback and graphics settings.

[@Luke.S2099]

Wouldn't even know about SF III if not for this channel. Thank you Max for introducing me to Third Strike, one of the best fighting games ever.

[@Ravagethem]

Man that outro montage 🔥🔥 the 3S music goes so incredibly hard

[@the-tea-collector]

Nothing beats a video of Max just talking about fighting games, hell yeah

[@archiedx]

Can we get a vid on the streetfighter EX series. They tend to go unloved now but they were carrying the brand name through this era imo

[@Spills-y8g]

I got into street fighter in 2010 when Super SF4 released. My friends and I played it a lot casually. Then when 3rd Strike Online Edition came out we were hyped to try the game for the first time. We were shocked at how terrible we were at inputting special moves in 3rd Strike. We had no idea that we were being handheld by SF4's easier inputs. Eventually we learned to do them properly but it was pretty funny to see us struggle so much to simply do a DP after playing Super SF4 for over a year and feeling like we were decent players. Fun times.

[@therush757]

Going to the arcade in early ‘97 and seeing a largely ignored SFIII while everyone was playing Tekken 3 was disheartening. Seemed like I was the only one who gave the machine quarters. I actually have one of those “THREE” arcade marquees framed on my wall.

[@RichSmithson]

Street Fighter 3 and 5 are the only SF's iv never got into. The thing that I didn't like with 3 when it came out was that most of the old characters from 2 were gone. I remember there was an arcade cabinet with 3 at my local cinema, but I found myself playing the Alpha 2 and 3 cabs. Now I look back I wish i had been more open minded. I really need to give 5 a go too.

[@outsideredge]

I remember during its run in the late 90s I saw very few Street Fighter 3 arcade machines, and there were played very little. I remember a poll in EGM magazine at the time asking what was everyone's favorite SF series and Alpha was well above the Three series. I didn't play Second Impact until I went over to friends house that had Dreamcast and Double Impact. Third Strike Online Edition is god-tier for everything it does in terms of cleaning up the graphics and UI elements, the new music and having so much content. I wish that was backwards compatible on PS4 and 5.

[@Ozymandias2x]

Hugo slapping Gill out of his resurrection is just *mwah* chef's kiss.

[@MatticusFinch1820]

Street Fighter 3rd Strike is the Chess of fighting games. Its the best in the series TO THIS DAY and will never be topped. Its a masterpiece. The greatest fighting game of all time. Noobs need not apply. SF6 is the first SF game i have loved as much as SF3TS.

[@spiralbottom]

Yeah I've never bought that story that they made Sean suck deliberately for "compatibility." I've always believed they did it in response to how strong he was in NG/2I. Ibuki got hit in 3S pretty hard, too. It was all kneejerk arcade balancing.

[@Moley87]

Whenever I see a Genei-Jin Yun corner juggle combo, I can almost hear "Ay! Ay! Ay! Ay! Ay! Ay!" in my head...

[@kamenrangerzeo8251]

If you really think about it Street Fighter 3 really has the most controversy of the series, (See Matt McMuscles video What Happen Street fighter 3 for more info). Which may consider 3rd strike the best variation of Street Fighter 3 when in compared to Next Generation and 2nd impact. Now that's not to say that next gen and 2nd impact didn't have some fans did enjoy them no, but the struggle that they had to gain popularity was there. Since the third revision gained dominance in the long run, plus Capcom was pushing Alex as the new figurehead hero for Street Fighter 3 at that time. Another fun fact was that new generation was in competition with Street Fighter the movie for that number three shape crown for them to have. When you look at the next-generation fighters that were meant for this game like Alex, Sean, Ibuki, Dudley, Makoto, Gill, Q, Remy, Oro, Yun, Yang, Twelve, Necro, Urien and Hugo they were all supposed to be the new faces for this game yet the fandom did not accept them at first. Capcom knew they had to bring some familiarity to the franchise and that's why they brought back Ryu, Ken, and Chun-li to face these new Fighters and a new threat to the world aka the Illuminati that was run by Gill. Both Max and Matt have their opinions about Street Fighter 3 and they are fun to listen to which even I didn't know about all of this until much later.

[@BookofJinesis]

Even tho there have been many new iterations of SF my homies and i always go back to our fav classics "Alpha 3"-"3rd Strike"-"Capcom vs SnK 2" speaking of which u should do a video like these about C vs SnK 2 if u havent already

[@carlosnicolini1719]

I actually saw one of those SF3s with just new characters back in the day. I thought it was some kind of bootleg game that was trying to ride on SF2's coattails. A few months later I saw the game again and now it had Ryu and Ken. For years I thought I had hallucinated! Only a few years ago I found out on KZbin that I was not crazy and they weren't in the game initially.

[@bassam1985]

I don't know how but here in Venezuela back then was a huge arcade place that had Street Fighter 3 without Ken&Ryu , i was so dissapointed , i cannot believe that was an SF, and why Capcom drop my mains,and no Chun Li or even Guile.... i hated so much... maybe because of that i hate Alex so much xD

[@VibinMammal]

Damn seeing the Miles923 handle brings back memories

[@SadikiStGeorgeangemon44]

Street Fighter 3 the whole trilogy is some of my favorite games of all time, new generation has the best arranged soundtrack. Alex and Necro and Dudley are some of my favorite characters